The site upon which Webster Elementary Magnet is located, 707 Holly Avenue, was
acquired by the school district in 1923. In 1924, Marshall Junior High School, named
for former state governor William R. Marshall, was constructed on the west side of
the site. In 1926, Webster Elementary School, named for Daniel Webster, noted
American statesman and orator, was built. In 1975, an addition was constructed to
connect the two buildings and the complex renamed the Webster Magnet School.

The magnet school opened in 1976 as the first magnet school west of the Mississippi
River. At that time, the student body was primarily African American children. The
goal of the magnet school program was to desegregate schools on a voluntary basis.
Children of diverse backgrounds were bused city-wide to participate in Webster's
attractive new enrichment program. Students were given the opportunity to explore
their many talents in a variety of courses and to excel in basic skills. Many
children participated in above-grade-level programs for gifted students.

Webster Elementary is a social microcosm, and its diversity, in every sense of the
word, is its strength: enrichment variety, ethnicity, student academic levels, and
socio-economics. By providing its students with the opportunity to respectfully
learn and work together, Webster is most definitely "a school community educating
and enriching all children to live in an ever-changing world."

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the
Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics
should search
the catalog using these headings.